Slaughter makes first major changes since becoming county manager

Three months into his new job, Washoe County Manager John Slaughter has embarked on a reshuffling of top personnel and a restructuring of the finance and budget offices.

Slaughter said the changes are in keeping with the 100-day plan he established at the start of his new job on Nov. 12.

"I had talked about that from day one, that about at the half way point, I would start establishing some changes we can make organizationally," Slaughter said.

First, Slaughter promoted Social Services Director Kevin Schiller to assistant manager, a move that becomes effective today. Schiller replaces John Berkich, who retired late last year.

Schiller, who has run the behemoth social services department for five years, was also a finalist for the county manager position following Katy Simon's retirement.

Ken Retterath will be recommended as the acting social services director until the county commission decides how to permanently fill the position.

Slaughter also is reorganizing the budget and finance departments, bringing the budget division back under the wing of the county manager and eliminating the director of finance position. He said it has become increasingly difficult nationally to recruit for a finance director. Folding the responsibilities into an assistant manager position should make it easier to find a strong candidate.

"We've been recruiting now for a while for finance director and there's just a national trend that the position of finance director in the public sector is a difficult position to recruit for," he said.

Budgeting activities belong in the manager's office, Slaughter said.

"Really, the county manager is the one who recommends the budget," he said. "So I'm bringing that into this office."

Other changes include reorganizing the comptroller's office into a stand-alone department that includes the risk management and purchasing divisions. The comptroller will become the department's director. Slaughter will be recruiting for that position as current Comptroller Cynthia Washburn is retiring, he said.

Dave Solaro will be appointed director of community services. Solaro had been acting director of the department. Slaughter also will be creating a building and safety division within the community services department, appointing Don Jeppson as the division head.

For more on Slaughter's plans for the county, check out my Q&A with him that ran Sunday.